GBS Midwife Survey 2013 Conducted by charity Group B Strep Support at the Royal College of Midwives Annual Conference November 2013 What do Midwives really know about group B Strep? Source: Group B Strep Support Date: November 2013 Base: 163 respondent Midwives 1

Executive Summary Group B Strep is the most common cause of serious infection in newborn babies with an incidence of culture-proven cases in babies aged 0-6 days of 0.5 cases per 1,000 live births and a mortality rate of 10.6% (Source: Heath PT et al, 2004). Midwives play a key role in the identification of mothers whose babies are at raised risk of these infections. 95% of Midwives did not know that rate of GBS infection in newborn babies per 1,000 live births has increased by 46% in the last decade (Source: Lamagni et al, 2013) Only 8% of Midwives were not aware of their Hospital Trust’s GBS guideline; 30% were not aware of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists’ (RCOG) GBS guideline Two thirds (66%) of Midwives felt that their Hospital Trust GBS guidelines were clear compared with 50% for the RCOG’s GBS guidelines 44% of Midwives felt that they did not have adequate information about GBS Almost half (49%) of Midwives did not feel well informed enough to talk about GBS to families in their care 93% of Midwives did not know the correct combination of swab sites and culture method for best identification of GBS carriage Only 9% of Midwives did not want to see pregnant women offered tests for GBS carriage 2

Only 2% of Midwives had not heard of GBS before the conference Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 (163 respondents) 3

83% of Midwives heard about GBS during their midwifery training Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 (160 respondents) 4

Only 5% of Midwives were aware that early-onset GBS infections had increased by 46% in the last decade Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 (158 respondents) 2 5

Only 46% of Midwives had read their Hospital Trust’s GBS guidelines; only 16% had read RCOG’s guidelines Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 ( respondents) 6

Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 ( respondents) Two thirds (66%) of Midwives felt that their Hospital Trust’s GBS guidelines were clear compared with 50% for RCOG’s 7

Almost half (44%) of Midwives felt that they did not have adequate information about GBS Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 (155 respondents) 8

Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 (154 respondents) Almost half (49%) of Midwives did not feel well informed enough to talk about GBS to families in their care 9

93% of Midwives did not know the correct combination of swab sites and culture method for best identification of GBS carriage Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 (111 respondents) 10

Only 9% of Midwives did not want to see pregnant women offered a test for GBS carriage Base: GBSS Midwife Survey – RCM conference November 2013 (158 respondents) 11

Methodology These results reveal that Midwives have not being given the information they need on GBS in order to inform and protect pregnant women Data collected via a survey questionnaire made available to Midwives at the RCM Annual Conference in Telford, November 2013 Survey was conducted over the two day Conference November Midwives (student and qualified) completely the survey form, though not all completed every question 12

References 1.Group B streptococcal disease in UK and Irish infants younger than 90 days. Heath PT, Balfour G, Weisner AM, et al. Lancet 2004;363:292–4Group B streptococcal disease in UK and Irish infants younger than 90 days. 2.Emerging Trends in the Epidemiology of Invasive Group B Streptococcal Disease in England and Wales, Lamagni TL et al. Clin Infect Dis. (2013) 57 (5): doi: /cid/cit337 July 11, 2013Emerging Trends in the Epidemiology of Invasive Group B Streptococcal Disease in England and Wales,